Metabolic Consequences of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Abstract

The effects of OSA on metabolism are quite complex, and obesity, diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and dyslipidemia often coexist with OSA, making it difficult to tease out the independent effects of OSA on metabolic variables. There is firm experimental evidence of a detrimental impact of OSA on adipose tissue dysfunction, with intermittent hypoxia, sympathetic hyperactivity, and oxidative stress as the most important intermediate mechanisms. Sleep fragmentation or deprivation may also contribute to the metabolic dysfunction of OSA. This work reviews the current knowledge on this topic, as well as the results of studies on the effects of CPAP treatment.